Return to Destiny
by Ravin Wolf
Summary: Sora and Riku have both returned to Destiny Island but an Third Choice has arised. The door to the darkness has opened. Pairings: RikuKairi and light SoraKairi rates PG13 for later chapters (Chapter 1 up)


**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Kingdom Hearts nor will I ever. An RPG with one of my best friends inspired me to write this…so booya!  
  
_Author's Notes:_ The story takes place after Kingdom Hearts ends; Kairi is about sixteen, the age I think she is in the upcoming Kingdom Hearts II. I did my best to relate some of the parts with what I already know happen in the KHII so there are a few **SPOILERS**.  
The pairings are Riku x Kairi with a little bit of light Sora x Kairi.  
  
**Return to Destiny  
  
by Ravin Wolf  
  
Chapter One: It Begins Again**  
  
Deep red hair glistened in the fading sunlight as a girl of about age sixteen or crossed the wooden bridge onto a miniature island and pulled herself up to sit on the Paopu Tree. "Yo! Kairi! We're gonna head back, alright? Don't stay too long!" She smiled to herself, "Tidus, would you stop worrying about me? I'll leave in a little while…I want to see the sunset." The blonde-haired boy nodded and walked off with Wakka and Selphie towards their boats at the pier.  
  
She watched as the three boats faded into the distance and turned her gaze back out to the ocean before her. The sound of someone walking in the sand down on the beach made her tear her gaze away from the quickly reddening waters. Her eyes widened when she saw him…Sora. He hadn't spotted her yet. The young woman stood and waved to him, "Sora? Sora!! Over here!" She smiled when his head snapped up and a grin appeared on his face, "KAIRI!" Sora dashed down the beach and jumped up pulling himself onto the plank bridge so he could get to his friend faster.  
  
She could not resist laughing at his enthusiasm and hugged him when he got near. Sora's tan face tinted a slight pink as Kairi pulled away and sat back down onto the Paopu Tree, watching him. He looked out at the sea, his gaze moving gradually to Kairi down her figure to the Paopu Tree and then on to the sand at his feet, "Umm...So...how's everything...?" Kairi smiled, "Good, what about you, hero?"  
  
Sora blinked and tilted his head slightly to one side, "'Hero'?" She shrugged and looked away from him, "You saved all of the worlds." Something seemed to be bothering her, "You're a hero." Sora frowned slightly, "I know...but it really wasn't what I expected it to be...I lost a lot more than I thought..." The girl shrugged yet again only replying with a redundant, "Hm." Sora's frown deepened, "Kairi… Are you mad at me?" Her response was immediate, "No." That just seemed to make him more concerned, " But you're...you don't talk as much as you used to..."   
  
Her first answer to his statement was a third shrug before a stiff, "No…I don't." Sora took a seat next to her, "Why?" When she did not answer him, he rested a gloved hand softly on her shoulder, a look of pure concern on his handsome face, "Are you okay?" She shrugged his hand off and stood up, "Yeah. I'm fine, Sora. Perfect."   
  
-------------.  
  
Riku's shoulders sagged. He'd been walking for hours and hadn't gotten anywhere in the darkness, "Sora... Kairi..." The silver-haired teen kept his head down and continued walking. Speaking to no one except himself, "I'm sorry…" His eyes never moved from the white path he was walking on. It seemed to be endless leading him to nowhere.  
  
He sighed, "Is this... the world of death?" As if to answer his question he saw himself, start to flicker, as if not real. Riku curiously held his hands out not sure, if he had imagined it or not, he gasped as his hands flickered again. He stumbled in surprise, tripping over his own two feet.  
  
Riku finally stopped walking, figuring that he would only trip and fall over if he continued anyway. His eyes widened as a blue light surrounded him. He clutched his chest, squeezing his eyes tightly closed, "I can't disappear yet." He cracked an eye open, smiling when he noticed the aura had vanished and he was not fading anymore, "…Not until I've met Sora and Kairi one more time... "  
  
A voice came from out of the surrounding darkness, **_"Riku, can you hear me?" _**He raised his head slightly, his bright blue eyes darting around trying to find the source of the voice. **_"I'll be there soon." _**Riku abruptly spun around, his head snapping around, looking for the speaker, "Who's there?" He scowled, seeing only darkness around him.  
  
**_"I've been talking to you all along. But my words were hindered by the darkness covering your heart."_** Blue eyes blinked in confusion, "What?" The voice ignored him and continued speaking, **_"Another Keyblade...I've gotten the Keyblade for this side._**" He looked around again, still trying to find who was speaking to him, "I don't know who you are, but...What's happened to me?"  
  
The voice answered him without a pause, **_"Your heart has overcome the darkness .But you couldn't take back your body. So only your heart was left behind in this dark side where stolen hearts are gathered."_** Riku sighed. He was so lost…so confused. There was only one thing that he could ask and he asked it, "What should I do?" He turned around and headed down the road once more, while awaiting the answer.  
  
**_"The door of darkness that is soon going to appear...That door, through which we cannot pass...In order to close it, two keys and two hearts are needed. Perhaps you too, like me, come here for that purpose. Maybe it was fate."_** Riku nodded more to himself than to the invisible owner of the voice. His eyes lit up at an idea. This person knew a lot…maybe he knew if Sora and Kairi were safe. It could never hurt to ask. He looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of the man, "Fate... You know everything, don't you? If that's so, I want you to tell me one more thing... Are Sora and Kairi safe?"  
  
The unknown man chuckled softly, **_"You yourself should be able to feel their hearts."_** Riku's brow furrowed. Feel their hearts…how? He closed his eyes and pictured his friends. **_"How you perceive your friends...Is dependent on your own heart."_** As he heard this, his heart swelled. He knew they were both safe and that they were waiting for him to come back. He slowly opened his eyes, a smile gracing his features, "Thank you."  
  
-------------.  
  
Kairi turned her gaze out to the ocean, reaching a hand up to play with a lock of her hair, "No one to talk to around here anyway, you know? Selphie's always too busy trying to flirt with Wakka and Tidus to talk and those two are too busy trying to hide." She laughed softly. Sora bowed his head, chewing on his bottom lip before speaking, "I'm sorry."  
  
She looked over at him, her voice full of confusion, "For what?" He looked up at her, his expression that of a lost puppy, "I...left you..." Kairi stared at him. He'd left her. Her real parents had left her. Everyone had left her. She turned away staring out up at the reds and purples of the sky, "Riku left me too." He got up and stood next to her, "We all did. Look...if you really don't want me around, I'll just go away..."  
  
She turned to him, the colors of the still setting sun shining off her hair and playing across her pale skin. The girl shook her head, "Nah, stay." Sora grinned and flopped down onto the sand, resting his head against the tree, "Okay." She smiled and sat down next to him, hugging her knees to her chest. She glanced over at him and noticed just how cute he was. She quickly looked away and pushed the thought from her mind. She didn't love him.  
  
Sora started fidgeting, playing first with his shorts, then his necklace, and finally started an attempt at making his messy hair messier. Kairi's voice broke the silence, "It...It's nice to have you back again." He blinked and stopped his fiddling, "It is?" She nodded, "Yeah, of course." Sora sighed and grinned, "Phew. I thought you were mad at me..." Kairi broke into a fit of giggles, "Me? M-Mad at you?" She continued giggling, gasping for air, "YOU of all people?"  
  
He did not really seem to register what she was saying and wallowed in self-pity, "I know I was a complete idiot back then..." She giggled and nodded, "Yup. But you were a nice idiot." He sighed, overlooking her joking tone, "Really stupid…" She nodded absently letting him babble on. He punched the sand, "I'm so sorry." Kairi sighed and turned to him, "Sora..." She blinked when she noticed his eyes filling with tears. He mumbled, "I...I was so...STUPID…"  
  
Sora continued talking, "I was too busy trying to impress you wit - - " That was the last straw. She wanted him to shut up and stop feeling to sorry for himself. With that Kairi stood up and glared at him, "WOULD YOU STOP IT!? STOP FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELF AND STOP APOLOGIZING!" He cringed, "I'm sorry..." She glared at him, "You apologized. AGAIN."  
  
The redhead turned and started walking off stopping in mid step. Sora watched her, "You can hit me..." She sighed, "No." She turned to him, wondering if he might have seen Riku around at all. She hoped he had. "Um...Hey..." He cracked an eye open and looked at her, "Yeah...?" She looked down at her feet, her bangs hiding the soft blush that appeared on her cheeks, "Um...Have you heard anything from Riku?"  
  
Sora's face fell, "No…I found a few leads...but...they didn't go anywhere..." She closed her eyes, holding back tears, "Oh." He got up, "I'm sorry..." She looked over at him and shrugged, "Don't apologize. It's not your fault. I...I'm just worried about him, you know?" He nodded, "Me too, Kairi. Me too."  
  
He closed his eyes and summoned the Kingdom Key into his hand, opening them and staring at it sadly. Kairi blinked, "The Keyblade. They're becoming common things to see." He looked up at her, "W-What? It was only me and...Riku..." She shook her head, "There was a kid who looked kind of like Tidus who came through here a little while ago with a Keyblade; two of them actually."  
  
Sora was up in a flash, "W-What??" She nodded, "He had this odd green jewel too." Sora frowned, "Which way did he go?" Kairi pointed over to the main island, "He came by here a few days ago and asked to borrow a boat over. I gave him mine." He grinned at her and hugged her tightly, "Thanks a bunch Kairi!" He let go of her and ran onto the bridge, jumping down and dashing to the dock.  
  
"S-Sora! HEY!" He stopped and turned back to her, "What?" She cursed to herself under her breath, "Um…Never mind." He frowned, "Kairi…Tell me." She waved a hand absently to dismiss it, "Nah. It's nothing. You'd better hurry if you want to catch him." He grinned at her and nodded, "Uh...okay! I'll come back for you! I promise!" He dove into the water with a wave to her and started swimming towards the other island.  
  
She sighed and returned to her perch on the Paopu Tree, "...Sure you will."  
  
-------------.  
  
Inside a castle in another world, an older man in his mid thirties pulled off the hood of his trench coat to reveal brilliant red hair and a set of deep green eyes, "The door to the darkness has opened. He'll be arriving soon." The man ran his tongue over his lips and smirked, "This time. He can protect her on his own without my help." He turned and walked into his study, closing the door, "This time…She will be protected the right way."   
  
_More Author's Notes:_ Alrighty. Here's the first chapter for you all. Review! Review! Review! So please tell me what you all think by clicking your friendly neighborhood purple review button that can be found right down there. points 


End file.
